Fifth Year Will Never be the Same
by Scurvy-Monkey
Summary: Dumbledore must have finally lost it, because the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor is none other than Dante. As for Nero, it's his job to make sure the students survive. Warning: Discontinued.
1. Chapter 1

_A note to readers: This story will feature some minor Umbridge bashing and occasional crack, which is purely intentional. I'm focusing more on Dante and Nero than the adventures of Harry and friends(who wants a retelling of the fifth book?), but they will be included, and have their own scenes. This story will not be featuring a lot of romance, but there may be some small hints at DxN/NxD. Friendship or love, take it whatever way you want(It's subject to change, as I haven't quite decided yet). This takes place a month or so after Devil May Cry 4, and Harry's fifth year._

_Another thing: The reason Kyrie and Nero are not together is that I really don't see Nero going off on a magical adventure to Hogwarts without her for an entire year and not be reduced to a love-sick puppy. Enjoy. Hopefully the characters are not too OOC._

---

The moment he materialized in front of the beaten down building flashing a bright sign, neon letters spelling DEVIL MAY CRY, Dumbledore realized he had probably gone senile in his old age. Unfortunately for him (and his students) this was his last resort, as anything was better than the toad from the ministry Fudge had undoubtedly planned to worm into his school. As if the trial wasn't enough. He'd considered many other options, all of whom were either unable or too… demonic. Giving a short chuckle at the irony, the great Albus Dumbledore politely knocked on the door. It creaked a little under the pressure, as if it had been pushed to it's limit. Immediately, he started to regret the decision.

---

Nero was having a bad day. Not just because of his recent fallout with Kyrie, which Dante didn't seem to know or care about how much it _hurt _Nero, but because he was stuck watching the shop while the old man was obviously having the time of his life somewhere. Ever since Nero decided to move in with Dante, he'd been turned into the housekeeper. Any job that had come up was taken before he could even blink by one of the others, leaving him bored to death. Then his mind would wander to Kyrie, for whom he had risked his life for, only for her to decide that they'd be better off as _friends_. He didn't dare tell Dante about that part, since that would earn more than a few laughs… as if Nero needed his self esteem deflated any more.

There was a knock on the door, and Nero was flooded with hope. This was his chance. His shining moment. He dashed to the entrance and swung the door open, only to be met by an obscenely old man that resembled a certain holiday character not only in appearance, but in the way he seemed to radiate a childish joy. It was strange to Nero that he was clothed in robes and a matching hat, carrying nothing but a piece of wood at night. Altogether, he looked like a primary target for demons, yet he had arrived without a scratch.

"Excuse me," Dumbledore greeted, noticing that Nero was not the one he was looking for, "I am Albus Dumbledore. Might you know where the owner of this establishment is?"

Nero could only gape at the how civilized Dumbledore spoke. It was rare to hear someone talk in such a cultured manner in a place like this. When he realized that he was being asked a question, Nero waved him inside.

"Just come in, he should be back soon."

Dumbledore obeyed, seating himself on a couch. Nero sat opposite of him in a chair, meeting his gaze. The sat in an awkward silence, occasionally interrupted by Nero shifting uncomfortably in place. Although Dumbledore was a seemingly pleasant character, he couldn't help wishing for Dante to finish with whatever the hell he was doing.

The sound of footsteps echoing outside the door was pure music to his ears, even if the music wasn't that pretty. At least it meant that Dante was back, the heavy stomping couldn't belong to anyone else but him. The door was kicked open in his usual manner, the fact that it was still in one piece a good sign. Apparently the mission was a success. Dante ignored the visitor for a minute or so, more intently focused on shoving something into a drawer in the desk. Soon his work was finished, leaving Dante to break the silence.

"Customer?" Was all he asked, throwing himself into a seat. Dumbledore was a bit unnerved by the behavior, another tinge of regret flashing through his eyes, but it went unnoticed.

"I am Albus Dumbledore," He said for the second time that night. Hopefully he needn't say it again. Dante seemed to realize what he was, his gaze fixed on the wand in is hand. "I come from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, in need of your assistance, Mr. Dante. Our school is short on staff, and considering your heritage, we would take much gratitude if you were to occupy the position of the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor."

Nero had no clue as to what Dumbledore was thinking, as Dante was generally the last person to call in matters of teaching. The man in question was thinking along the same lines, holding back the oncoming laughter. He gave only a brief snort before regaining his composure.

"What's the pay?" Albus had expected the question, and had a response that Dante couldn't refuse.

"I'm prepared to grant you whatever payment you want, name your price."

Nero felt his jaw drop. This guy not only wanted Dante to teach, but would give him whatever payment he wanted? He was crazy, and probably desperate.

"Now we're talking," Dante smirked, not really caring about the smaller details anymore. Dumbledore seemed intent on telling him anyways.

"You'll need to do some reading of course, just to get used to the wizarding world. Oh, and a wand. You won't really need it, but it's best to avoid questions considering your origins. The magical world is quite paranoid as of late, anything could send them into a frenzy."

Nero snapped out of his initial shock, taking in what he'd just heard. Realizing this was the chance he'd been waiting for to get his mind off of Kyrie, his mind was now fully set on joining Dante on his mission.

"Could I come as well? I'm probably too old to pass off as a student, but I could be Dante's assistant or something. Plus, someone needs to keep him from screwing up," The last part was said as more of a joke, but considering the person in question was Dante, he'd need all the help he could get.

Dumbledore considered this, as while he was not familiar with Nero or his reputation, he seemed like a good kid. The arm would attract a few stares, but as long as that was well hidden, he saw nothing wrong with allowing Nero to assist. At least that way they could keep each other company. While he was about to voice this, Dante Voiced a response.

"Whatever kid, but you're not getting any of my pay for this."

Nero would just have to see about that.

Dumbledore, not wanting to spend another minute with the devil hunters, handed Dante a letter, containing contact information, plane(and train) tickets, a list of books that would be available for him to research, a reservation at the Leaky Cauldron, and enough money to purchase two wands. He turned and walked out the door, leaving the two to their own devices. The only thing he could think of as he apparated away, was that he had indeed finally lost it. The Ministry might have found a way to get rid of him yet.

Dante himself was very pleased with his new job, and that it was just the kid following him around and not one of the two women he had the joy of knowing. Or worse - both. He pried opened the envelope, focusing on it's bulky contents. Looks like they were leaving tomorrow. Better tell the kid that.

Nero had other things to think about. If Dante was going to teach, then it was Nero's job to make sure Dante looked and acted the part. First things on his list: get Dante to stop calling him kid, and to shave before he grew a beard that rivaled Dumbledore's. It was going to be a long year.

And this was only the beginning.

---

The great city of London was just that - great. Covered in buildings and street after street that almost looked the same, it was a difficult place to navigate. It helped that Dumbledore had provided directions as to the location of the Leaky Cauldron, but in a place that neither devil hunter had been previously, they had gotten lost a few times.

According to Dante, at least. Nero had pretty much lost count after he ran out of fingers.

It was then a relief to see that they had reached their destination, just in time for lunch. Dante had made a beeline for the bar, craving whatever pizza he could get his hands on, leaving Nero to grab a table for them to sit at. It wasn't hard, as the place wasn't too crowded, the only customers keeping to themselves.

Nero was lucky enough to grab a slice before Dante swallowed everything else in record time. Sure, Nero understood that they should get studying as soon as possible, but he took his time eating. Dante tapped his fingers across the table, impatient. Nero considered eating slower, just to piss him off, only to decide that he wasn't that hungry after all. Pushing the leftovers toward the center of the table, the two stood and prepared to leave to Diagon Ally. Any baggage that was previously carried now safely tucked away in their room, the back door of the Leaky Cauldron was pushed open, revealing a brick wall.

Dante retrieved the letter from his pocket, looking it over carefully before tapping a few bricks here and there. After a few tries and grunts of frustration, the bricks finally moved aside to reveal Diagon Ally in all it's wizardly glory.

---

Meanwhile, our favorite bearded wizard was in a tight position. Even though he had avoided the catastrophe of having the Ministry toad taking over the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, the Ministry proved it wasn't above bribery. They must've offered a large sum to convince professor Grubbly-Plank to remain in retirement, for now they had a new Care of Magical Creatures professor: Dolores Umbridge. He rested in his office, scratching his beard in search of a solution. Perhaps, since it was only Care of Magical Creatures, neither Fudge nor his henchmen could have a great influence on the school. Seeing as the class was held outside, the toad couldn't have much of an excuse to spend time inside the walls of Hogwarts.

---

Dante had walked two steps into the robes shop, before turning on his heel and walking out expressionless, grabbing Nero by the arm and ignoring any protests. There was no way, ever, EVER, that Dante would wear something like _that. _It was degrading, to say the very least. Nero protested that it was necessary to avoid suspicion, yielding no results. They were already halfway down the street when Nero finally gave in, allowing Dante to pull him into the wand shop.

As if they had been expected, Ollivander was waiting at the front desk. Without a word, he grabbed a box from the shelf, plucked out a wand, and handed it to Nero. Dante stood in the corner, ignoring the chair to his right, either watching or thinking to himself while Nero flicked the wand, sending a few books to the floor. Ollivander treated this as normal, and handed him another one.

A few more tries and a left eyebrow later, Nero had found his wand.

"Excellent wand right there, should've known that was the one," Nero glanced at Ollivander, a bit confused, but accepted it. "Dogwood," Ollivander continued, "ten inches, dragon heartstring core, good for transfiguration. A very hard wood," Nero heard a chuckle from the corner, and responded with a quick glare. "and an unusual combination. You should find it to your liking. So, who do we have next?"

Dante came forward and was immediately handed a wand, to which he gave a quick wave. He was disappointed to find nothing happened, before the front desk burst into flames. Ollivander spent the next few minutes attempting to extinguish the fire, then ripped the wand from Dante's hand when he motioned to wave it again. Nero could only sigh.

The next few didn't cause as big a disaster as the first, but it seemed that every wand Dante held set something ablaze. He decided that he liked wizard magic. Nero, on the other hand, wanted to get out of the shop before it was nothing but ash.

Eventually Dante had received a wand that didn't light something on fire, instead showering a fountain of red sparks. Relief stretched across Ollivander's face.

"There we go. Another unusual one. Sequoia, quite durable, nine inches. Core of phoenix feather and excellent for curses. Not that I recommend cursing someone very soon."

Dante responded with a nod of approval, handing Ollivander a few coins. Truthfully, Dante had no clue of how the system of wizard money worked, but that didn't strike him as a problem. Ollivander merely handed him change, keeping an extra Galleon in compensation for the desk. Dante figured he had paid too much, yet the matter was brushed aside as he and Nero left Ollivander's. It was then Nero convinced him to return to Madam Malkin's.

Dante refused to purchase robes for himself, only buying a few black ones for Nero, which Madam Malkin herself seemed to spend a lengthy time hemming. By the end, Nero was grateful Dante hadn't purchased himself a set. They left after paying, strolling to Flourish and Blotts to pick up the books Dumbledore had ordered.

Nero hadn't got a good look at Diagon Alley until then, now taking the time to gaze at the shops. There were a few stores that sparked an interest, such as Quality Quidditch Supplies and Eeylops Owl Emporium, none of which he figured were necessary to visit. It was best to get back to the Leaky Cauldron anyways, they had studying to do.

They entered their room to find that it was small, consisting of a table, a lamp, a dresser with a mirror, and a single bed. Dumbledore had obviously expected one occupant. Choosing to put the matter off for as long as possible, they seated themselves opposite of each other on the bed, looking over the letter. Apparently they had two weeks to memorize as much as possible about the wizard's dark arts and basic magic. They started with a few simple charms.

"So the book says wave it like this," Dante swished his wand around in an obscure pattern, "and say 'Aguamenti,' then water's supposed to shoot out?" Nero nodded, and Dante continued talking. "Lame. I'd like to try that explosion curse, 'Expulso' or something like that. Oh well," Dante preformed the necessary wand movements, before speaking in a careless tone. "Aguamenti."

A jet of water spurted out for a moment until he waved it again, leaving a reasonably sized puddle on the floor, causing Dante to grin - he had gotten it on his first try, after all. Things were going well.

The session had been successful, Dante managing to get each spell easily, eventually experimenting a few on Nero. Nero himself had found an excellent spell to use on Dante: a shaving spell. There went that problem. It was then interrupted by the need for dinner, which they had gone downstairs to get.

The Leaky Cauldron was much fuller then it had been previously, the majority of the tables now occupied. Many of the customers looked young, most likely students at Hogwarts. Dante was grateful to be ignored for once, taking a pizza from the counter and carrying it back to his room without a second glance. No way was Nero getting that bed all to himself.

--

The next two weeks passed rather quickly, Dante and Nero both spending late hours into the night studying hard enough to rival the great Hermione. They had been able to barrow an abandoned area near Knockturn Alley to practice more advanced spells(and curses), and got a chance to do some sparring. It was in mutual agreement, and recommendation of Dumbledore, that their weapons remain hidden and unused except for special cases. Dante had taken to storing Rebellion in an old guitar case he's found lying around, Nero hiding his arm by wearing gloves and a long sleeved shirt beneath his usual clothing and new wizard robes. He had also gotten lucky enough to hit Dante with the shaving spell he'd learned. Unfortunately for Dante, Nero had made a mistake with the casting. According to the bartender of the leaky cauldron and several kind witches who worked at St. Mungo's, Dante would be unable to grow any facial hair for at least a few months. There was a chance it was permanent, but after witnessing the murderous look he gave Nero, Dante was assured it would wear off quickly. Nero wasn't able to sleep that night, and refused to turn his back to Dante for the rest of their stay.

At last the two were standing between platforms nine and ten at King's Cross station, once again looking over the letter.

"We're supposed to do WHAT?!"

"Kid, we've already done a lot of weird things in the past two weeks. Just go with it."

Nero reluctantly, under the threat of being left behind, ran at the brick wall standing before him. Trust Dante to make him go first. Clutching the single suitcase in his hand tight enough to break the handle, Nero braced for impact. It never came.

Dante followed behind him, trunk in hand, taking the barrier at a slow walk. The two hunters exchanged glares(mostly Nero, Dante just looked how he usually did), steadily boarding the train and taking a seat in the back carriage. Lucky for them, they were fairly early. Any student on the train had yet to approach the back compartments, the train gradually filling up.

Then, as a few students started to pass by, a single girl opened the compartment door. She clutched a magazine in her arms, and sported a surprised expression. Dante felt she resembled Dumbledore in levels of sanity, the 'out there' look in her unblinking eyes proving just that.

"You two seem a little old to be students…" The girl mused, taking a seat. "Is it alright if I sit here?" At the nod Nero gave her, she began reading the magazine in her hands. Upside down. A slight jerk was made by the train, followed by the steady rhythm of turning wheels. At last they were on the way to Hogwarts.

Another group of students, two boys and a girl, opened the door to the compartment a while later. Apparently the two girls knew each other, as soon there were three more people crowding the room. While the two talked, the boys noticed the white haired occupants seated at the window.

Harry wasn't having the best of days, being left alone with Ginny by his two best friends and then having to deal with the stares of just about every student on the train was bad enough. Now he was sitting in the cabin with two very strange adults he'd never seen before, the one he was next to resting guitar case on his lap. Harry had a distinct feeling that whatever was in the case bore no resemblance to a musical instrument. Neville looked like he'd sensed it as well, making sure he was as far away from the two men as possible. Harry was more curious than afraid, his gaze lingering on the one that sat next to him a bit longer, before his thoughts were interrupted by the man speaking.

"Look, kid, could you stop staring?" Harry felt a pang of embarrassment stretch across his features, before turning away and joining the conversation Neville had started about his newly acquired plant, just in time to witness him stab the plant with a quill.

The sudden burst of green slime took each occupant by surprise, save Dante, who had effectively shielded himself with the guitar case at the last second. Nero hadn't been as lucky, but managed to duck to the side to avoid most of the blast. Ginny soon got rid of the sap with a quick spell, and soon everything was as it had been. Dante and Nero were soon forgotten, even by Harry, as a cart passed by holding a number of sweets. A while later, they were joined by more students. Nero didn't mind so much. Dante wasn't amused.

Dante attempted to tune out the conversation about prefects and magazine reports, only to fail when Hermione acknowledged his and Nero's presence.

"Wow, so you are the new professors? I'm Hermione Granger," She stuck out a hand, which Nero shook and Dante just waved aside. If she minded at all, it did not show. She seemed like she was about to say something else, but was interrupted by the door opening once more. Dante inwardly groaned at this.

Harry greeted the familiar faces of Draco Malfoy and his two henchmen with the usual glare.

"What?" He asked in an aggressive tone, wondering if Malfoy had noticed the teachers sitting in the back of the compartment. Apparently not, as Malfoy responded in his usual confident manner.

"Manners, Potter, or I'll have to give you a detention," Harry sincerely doubted he could get a detention on the train. "You see, I, unlike you, have been made a prefect, which means that I, unlike you, have the power to hand… out… punishments…" Malfoy visibly paled, which was hard considering his normal skin tone, noticing Dante was staring right at him. Like a delinquent caught in the act(which, in a sense, he was), Draco did the one thing he was good at in a situation like this. He ran like hell.

"Looks like the git needs to work on his observational skills," Ron said, breaking the silence. It lightened the mood a bit, the students in the compartment bursting into laughter. Dante and Nero spoke nothing, seeming to focus on something interesting going on outside. It was already dark outside the carriage, leaving the window pitch black. Of course Dante and Nero could see fine, but there wasn't much of a view outside either way. One by one, the students in the compartment changed into their school robes, sporting the colors of red and gold on their ties(with the exception on Luna Lovegood, who was in Ravenclaw), ready to depart as the train came to a stop.

Before anyone else could leave, Dante and Nero were outside of the compartment, heading down the corridor. More than a few heads poked out as they passed by, apparently news traveled fast at Malfoy's hands. Exiting the train as fast as they could, the two hunters took at seat in the very first of the carriages before the mob of students could get to them. The door was slammed shut and secured, drowning out the oncoming flood of sound as students poured out the train in a sea of black robes. Minutes later, the winged horses pulling the carriages began to move, all moving toward the inviting castle known as Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

---

_Finally finished with chapter one, nearly 4,000 words later. I wanted to include the Great hall, introduction speech/feast and all that, but I didn't want the chapter to be monstrously long. Feel free to review._


	2. Chapter 2

_Author's notes: First off, I'd like to thank Knight25 for being the first to review. I'm glad you liked chapter one._

_In case (no pun intended) you didn't catch the not-so-small hint last chapter, I've been watching the anime lately, and finding it useful for inspiration._

_Also, I should note that you will not have to worry about OCs. I hate them with a burning passion. I noticed that I didn't include a disclaimer in the first chapter, but considering this is a fan fiction site, you should already know I own nothing._

_Now that that's over, enjoy the second chapter._

_---_

Night is often considered eerie and uninviting, a time when the unknown emerge and plague our otherwise pleasant dreams. While this held true for the clouded sky above Hogwarts, the castle itself turned the overall picture into what could only be referred to as magical. Tall and mysterious, it welcomed the new and returning students like a second home.

To Dolores Umbridge, it was a horrid place full of horrid traitors taught by the worst of them all: Albus Dumbledore. She continued the silent cursing of his name as she prepared to leave her new office to the Great hall, and the feast. How she hoped never to have to set foot in this place again, but in the end it would be worth it. She'd show them just who was really in charge here.

One of her many kitten plates hanging on the wall chose then to crash to the floor, shattering like glass. The noise shook Umbridge out of her plotting thoughts as she rushed to repair it with her wand.

---

Ahead of the crowd of students, Dante and Nero made it to the staff table of an empty Great Hall. The sky above was nothing worth looking at, only a mass of swirling gray as shown by the enchanted ceiling. It would've been impressive on another night, had the stars been showing. There seemed to be a mutual agreement made by the hall's occupants that nights such as those would be scarce this year. Most of the teachers were already seated, a few of them giving a polite greeting as the two hunters passed by. Nero managed to converse with Dante concerning lesson plans for a short time before the noise of hundred of students conversations drowned out their own voices. They would continue later.

Next to them, who had just slipped into the seat, was what Nero considered to be the ugliest human female he'd ever seen, appearing more like two pumpkins stacked on top of each other. Dante thought along similar lines: to him, she was the most hideous thing his eyes ever had the misfortune of witnessing. She reeked of perfume as well, coating herself in far too much for it to smell remotely good. After a few moments of staring Nero down, the two switched spots. The woman ignored them, intent on telling Dumbledore something that was important enough to miss the line of first years approaching the front of the hall, led by none other than Professor McGonagall. In hand was the famous stool, and the ever more popular sorting hat.

The noise disappeared as the legs of the stool met the ground, the hat placed on it soon after. All eyes watched in anticipation as the hat came to life, bursting into song.

Whatever it was singing about was ignored by Dante, who was focusing on the empty plate that sat before him. The golden sheen reflected his face so it was staring back at him with the same expression it always had. Nero was paying more attention, eyes on the hat but not quite listening. Umbridge scoffed every once in a while at something the hat said, usually when friendship and uniting together was mentioned. If Nero didn't already dislike her, there was no doubt in his head now.

The sorting soon began, also tuned out by Dante, who didn't know nor care about houses and sorting. The whole separation was, as the hat had said (he managed to catch SOME parts), a flawed system. Although, he soon tuned out once more. So far all he was concerned about was whether the feast would include pizza or not. It was a lengthy process, sorting each new student one at a time. It was out of sheer willpower that Dante's head was not on the table in front of him, in the midst of a pleasant nap.

The last student was finally called(Zeller, Rose), and Dumbledore stood to greet the audience. His presence calmed the room, as the students seemed to acknowledge him with respect, despite the Ministry's claims. The magic(once again, no pun intended) words were said, and the food appeared. Despite the many uncertainties cloaking each person in the room, the feast seemed as enjoyable as ever in terms of food.

Nero opened his mouth to speak to Dante, who immediately silenced him with a stare. There was a quick motion to the ever watching eyes of Umbridge, and the dinner was finished in silence. Dante wasn't afraid of her, as Umbridge seemed to think from the motions, but sharing any information near her would almost certainly end up in the wrong hands. Of course, that would be fixed very soon. It wouldn't be hard to intercept a few letters, especially with the current system of relying on birds.

Dumbledore stood, the noise level once again dropping to zero. The faces of the students were weary, obviously thinking of the comfortable bed lying in wait for them in their respective dorms, but they had the sense to listen to the headmaster speak.

"Well, now that we are digesting another magnificent feast, I beg a few moments of your attention for the usual start-of-term notices." Dante personally didn't quite like the small amount of pizza that was included on the table before him. Dumbledore must've said something to the cooks, as there was no other table that had featured the food, but it was obvious that the cooks knew little of how to properly prepare the dish. He'd pay a visit to the kitchens later, hopefully if he ever was given the time.

"First years ought to know that the forest in the grounds is out of bound to students-" Dante knew where he' be going for a little practice, "-and a few of our older students ought to know by now too.

"Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me, for what he tells me is the four hundred and sixty-second time, to remind you all that magic is not permitted in corridors between classes, nor are a number of other thing, all of which can be checked out on the extensive list now fastened to Mr. Filch's office door."

Dante figured there was little significance to repeating that rule, as it must've been broken quite a lot to be repeated that much. The school was a bit uptight, obviously somewhere a certain someone would fit right in. Filch himself was someone who was in desperate need of a proper bath and haircut. He and Umbridge seemed meant for each other by both appearance and the identical stares they gave the students, racked with illusions of superiority.

"We have two changes in staffing this year," Dumbledore continued, "We are very pleased to welcome Professor Umbridge, who will be taking Care of Magical Creatures lessons; we are also delighted to introduce Professor Dante, our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, along with his assistant, Nero."

The applause was hesitant, as the students seemed uncertain of what to make of the new teachers. They had never heard of a professor having an assistant, or carrying a suspicious looking guitar case, but continued on politely.

"Tryouts for the house Quidditch teams will take place on the-"

Umbridge had interrupted Dubledore with a coughing fit that even if he was across the room, Nero could tell was fake. She got to her feet without another word, and seemed intent to make herself known. The other members of the staff were not amused. Dante himself seemed to have nearly fallen asleep.

"Thank you, Headmaster," It was clear she enjoyed the sound of her own voice. Other occupants of the hall, namely the ones sitting next to her, wished for the high-pitched wailing to stop as soon as possible. "for those kind words of welcome. Well, it is lovely to be back at Hogwarts, I must say!" A grotesquely false smile said otherwise. "And to see such happy little faces looking back at me!"

Dante almost burst out laughing, as the hall before him was anything but happy. In fact, it looked like they had just walked out of a funeral. The chuckle that had managed to escape went unnoticed by Umbridge, although there were several glances cast his way.

"I am very much looking forward to getting to know you all, and I'm sure we'll be very good friends!"

Umbridge seemed very dense at the moment, as the students were almost thinking of this as a joke. She had left a definite first impression on the students, but not a very desirable one. She then erupted into a lengthy speech about "progress," and pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited." Heads progressed to the table or toward their friends to chat and ignore the utterly dull and boring voice speaking out, the owner of which not noticing a thing.

---

There was little clapping when it ended, and Dante stood up, prepared to leave. He had much more important business to get to. Like sleep.

He headed away from the crowds rushing to each houses respective common rooms, Nero trailing behind. The halls were oddly quiet near his office, but welcome in place of the ceaseless chattering. The door was opened long enough for the two to disappear inside, then quickly shut as an advanced locking charm, among other things, was placed upon it.

Ensured that the room was indeed secure, Dante located his bed, and wordlessly hopped in, ignoring Nero altogether. Nero didn't mind much, but was concerned that Dante had not put together a plan for tomorrow.

"Don't worry, I'll think of something," Dante said suddenly, voice muffled by the pillow that covered his face, as if he could hear Nero's thoughts. Nero found it best to just go along with whatever Dante was thinking, but to be sure he picked up the Ministry-issued copy of _Defensive Magical Theory_, spread out on his own bed (which Dumbledore had been polite enough to issue after their small compliant), and began to leaf through the pages.

He made it partially through chapter one, Basics for Beginners, before deciding it was the most boring book he had ever read, and would rather drown himself then read further and deny himself a good night's sleep. The book was carelessly thrown on the floor, the sound of more than a few pages tearing reaching Nero's ears. It was ignored, as Nero figured Dante wouldn't care what happened to the book, and would personally see to it's burning when he read it.

---

Nero had woken up early the following day, and decided to take the time offered to get acquainted with the school. They did not have lessons until the afternoon, and even if he was held up, Dante would survive without him.

The inky blackness that shrouded the hallways did nothing to obstruct his vision, and Nero was certain the moving portraits were thankful for the absence of light that came with those wandering the halls at night. While it was only a few hours until sunrise, the entire school - minus a few owlish teachers - were fast asleep. He decided the silence would be much more preferred to the echoes of students, and that early morning walks would become a regular occurrence.

He wasn't sure how he had ended up back at the office, but it had taken quite a long time. Nero doubted he had even explored half the school. The faint orange light of sunrise dotted the horizon outside, signifying the end of night, only to be blotted out by rain clouds. Soon the halls would fill, marking the first day of classes. Dante was still sound asleep, and, as Nero guessed, would remain that way until lunch.

Silently, he summoned Yamato. In a flash of blue light the sword was in his hand. Nero enjoyed the feeling, and took one of the few moments he had to just admire the weapon. The moment ended as soon as it began, Yamato disappearing to be replaced by the growl of his stomach. It was best if he were to grab breakfast now, while the Great Hall was still filling.

---

His assumptions were correct, as the Hall was nearly empty. The few students that were there glanced at him, only to hurriedly look away in embarrassment when he looked back. The Great Hall itself looked much more pleasant last night, now lacking it's usual golden glow. The sky reflected above was no longer just a swirling mass of gray, but an eerie storm, rain droplets falling from the enchanted ceiling but never hitting the ground.

Nero then realized that Dante was the only one in this school that he knew, and, aside from a few choice members of staff, could trust. He wasn't startled by the fact, as he was comfortable with working alone. Breakfast was eaten quickly, giving him plenty of time to dash back to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom and prepare for the first class. While Dante was intent on making a plan for himself, Nero was much more content with a backup plan if (when) Dante's plan failed.

A few groans broke the quiet that had settled over the two hunter's room. Nero looked up from the desk he had rested his head on (read: fallen asleep on), to find Dante had woken up. They exchanged glances, and resumed doing nothing, occasionally checking the time. Neither felt the need to discuss a lesson plan, as procrastination and uncertainty had taken over. They each came to a mental agreement that any lesson plan they came up with would, for lack of better word, suck. After all, neither had spent a day in their life teaching the future generation to defend themselves against all things nasty. It would be a long year.

---

Three hours before their first lesson, Dante left the room, in search of the kitchens. It was so obvious as to it's location, that Dante had nearly missed it the night before. He managed to retrace his steps to the exact portrait of fruit that had been previously noted, attention grasping the oversized pear. He poked it.

Nothing.

Again, still nothing.

A third time, and the pear finally revealed the entrance to the kitchens, where a collection of house-elves awaited. A few offered Dante something to eat, to which Dante responded by pulling out something from a pocket.

If anyone asked why he kept a sheet of paper in his pocket holding the recipe for a pizza on it, well, they'd be ignored. More because it was Dante then it being an odd question. The point was, Dante wanted good pizza, and wouldn't rest until he got it made daily, even if it meant personally training every single one of the elves. One of them accepted the recipe, a few curious others glancing over it's shoulders to get a look at the paper.

"So, can you make it?" Dante's question was meant with an enthusiastic set of nods, the owners of which proceeding to cheerfully make the dish. Dante felt he should attempt to help out, despite his shady cooking skills, but the pizza was already in an oven before he reached a decision.

The kitchen soon filled with the familiar smell of cooked pizza, and while Dante found it to be a bit on the burnt side, there was no denying the elves hadn't tried their best. Remembering a small bit of information regarding house-elves punishing themselves if they did anything wrong, Dante ensured them that the dish was nothing below perfect. A certain elf-rights activist would've been proud. Dante reconsidered after he left the kitchens, realizing that the rest of his pizza this year would probably be slightly burnt. He was stopped when a crowd of students walked past, forcing him to recall that he had a lesson to run soon.

Having unburnt pizza was almost worth it, but in the end he had walked back to his office without another word.

---

With History of Magic, Potions, and Divination already proving to be an unpleasant Monday, Harry prayed that the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher would brighten his day a bit. From what he had seen of the professor on the train, it was well established in his thoughts that this professor was another psycho. The guitar case, white hair, and vibrant use of the color red was all he needed to think of before it was confirmed. The toad-like Umbridge, who he had directly after this class, was likely to be ten times worse, making this hopefully the highlight of this day. Honestly, he was just pleased to have made it so far without a detention from Snape. One day, a new personal record. Now he had something to brag about to the twins.

He was then surprised, as were a few others, when he entered the classroom to find that the room was undecorated, each table arranged neatly, and Professor Dante sitting at his desk. Nero was standing in the corner, observing. Harry thought nothing of it, as things were bound to change, and took a seat in the middle of the classroom, book, wand, and quill out. Other students just sat down without grabbing anything from their bags, waiting for Professor Dante to tell them otherwise.

As soon as he was sure everyone was seated, Dante stood up, book in hand.

"So, why don't we start with attendance?"

Harry sighed at that, expecting for him to call out names one by one, pause at his name, and the whole class would be angry at him. Again. He was grateful when Dante put the list of names away, but a little confused.

"Looks like everyone's here," Dante continued, earning a few odd looks. They were ignored. "that means we can get started. As I was sort of a last minute addition to the staffing, these books," He waved the copy in his hand, "were issued by the Ministry of Magic. I have no clue about what's in them, so let's take a look."

Without another word, Dante opened the book, past the introductions, to the first chapter on page five. A few students mirrored his movements. Nero waited, wanting to know how far Dante would get before tossing the book out the window or setting it on fire.

About twelve lines in, Dante decided that the book he was reading was indeed a piece of shit, wordlessly set it ablaze - to the students, it looked like he had glared it into spontaneous combustion - and before long, it was out the window, sailing over the school grounds, and landing in the Black Lake with a barely audible splash.

Many students decided then and there that they would never get on Dante's bad side, as the Black lake was located on the other side of the school grounds. Meaning Dante could throw. _Hard._

"No books today. I'll have to find some new ones, the ones you have are worthless. Feel free to burn them or something. I assume you all know a basic shielding spell, correct?" The class nodded, afraid to do anything else. "Then clear the desks away and practice them with a partner," He paused when he noticed several students grinning, before continuing with instructions, "That doesn't mean you can blast each other across the room. With shielding spells, you can usually tell if they were placed correctly or not. If I see anything else than shielding, Detention to whoever casts it."

The students didn't need to be told twice. Nero could only hope.

---

_I've decided to end the chapter there, even though it's a little short, as to give a bit of a cliffhanger. Dante's first class isn't over quite yet… _

_Instead of asking for reviews, I'll just thank you for reading._


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